The Global Conference on Aquaculture Millennium +20 (GCA +20) was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific along with the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, under the theme of "Aquaculture for Food and Sustainable Development".
The event took place from the 22 to 25 September 2021 and was held in hybrid format, with a limited number of participants attending in person.
The GCA +20 programme contained a forward-looking agenda that addressed emerging issues and opportunities, ranging from traditional family farming to cutting-edge technology. Nine thematic areas, three keynote speeches, over 100 academic posters and a technical workshop on Artemia were spread out over the course of three days.
During this event, the participants adopted The Shanghai Declaration, which is a road map to optimize the role that aquaculture can play in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and meeting the pledge of "leaving no one behind".
YPARD, along with many other organizations, submitted a statement in support, which was delivered by our YPARD Steering Committee member Lako Stephane.
Who is Lako Stephane?
Lako Mbouendeu Stephane is a Steering Committee member at Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) and the Co-Vice Chair of the Global Framework for Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG). As part of YPARD and Water Youth Network (WYN) he contributes to water and food security policies and strategies at the national (Cameroon), regional (Africa) and global levels. He strives to support youth engagement in food systems through advocacy, training, mentorship and entrepreneurship. Lako is an agronomist with special interest in water resource management both in rural and urban areas. He contributed to several processes of strategic planning involving youth, gender and social inclusion and he advocates for more youth engaged in water and food security with support from older generations and all institutional bodies.
For more information, and to download the Shanghai Declaration follow the link below